


The Soldier and The Spy (and little James)

by natrgrs



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 13:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19394707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natrgrs/pseuds/natrgrs
Summary: What if during those 5 years, James Rogers had been born?





	The Soldier and The Spy (and little James)

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally planning on posting this on Endgame Drabbles, but this is a separate context from that, so... enjoy! 
> 
> This headcanon sprouted out of the tweet I made a few days ago, and since then I couldn’t get it out of my head.

No one, yet everyone expected it.

The soldier and the spy, were together. Two years on the run together (with Sam), and a lot can happen. One of those things of course was acting on the feelings they had for each other for so long. It was kind of obvious right from the start.

Even after Banner. Even after his kiss with Sharon.

They’d always come back to each other.

After the team went their separate ways during the first assemble, they found their way to each other, working as partners for SHIELD, after Barton took an indefinite leave to recover. Even after Barton returned, they still stuck by each other.

During the whole uncovering of HYDRA and the whole mess of Project Insight, they stuck together. Trusted each other during the time, they were told to not trust anyone. They brought HYDRA down together, and Sam was there to witness it all.

From that moment on, Sam knew there was something. What he didn’t understand is why he didn’t go after her at that cemetery.

Imagine his surprise when he sees Romanoff hitting on Banner during that party he got invited to. He saw Steve, roll his way, and he thought he’d have some word. What surprised him was he even encouraged it.

“What did you just do?”

“Natasha deserves to be happy.” He smiles. “Banner might be her happiness.”

_Stupid_. That was what Sam thought as he watched the super soldier make his way towards to the god of thunder, and get served with a drink that will most likely get him drunk.

What Sam wasn’t able to witness was what transpired over the flying city of Sokovia.

She had been captured by Ultron, and once she made her way towards him, calling out his surname which he returned, he released a breath he didn’t knew he was holding. She asks about her jacket that the Scarlet Witch was wearing. He tells her they fight robots. And then Tony wants to blow up the city.

She tells him there’s no math between everyone down the city, and everyone up there. He argues he wouldn’t leave the rock with one civilian on it. And then she says she wasn’t saying they would leave. She looks on to the clouds, asking where else was she gonna get a view like that. And he stares at her, knowing that he would gladly die if the last view he ever saw was her.

And then a year after Ultron, the Accords happen. She sides with Stark, telling him after Peggy’s funeral that staying together was more important than how they stay together right after she talks about finding her parents. He stands firm on his decision that he won’t sign it. She tells him she knows, and that she didn’t want him to be alone.

The fight at the airport was inevitable. She’s the only one standing between a clean getaway and him and Bucky. He looks defeated as she raises up her arms, but when the shock of her Widow’s Bites didn’t come, he looks behind to see the king of Wakanda taking the blow.

She turned her back on 117 countries, for him.

They break out the rest of the team from the Raft, and each go their separate ways except for him, Nat, and Sam. Sam witnesses it all again. And when they finally acknowledged it, after one peaceful night in Bali, he gives them a bottle of champagne.

“Finally, figured it out!” Sam exclaims as he tosses Steve a bottle of champagne. “That comes with the accommodation by the way.”

And then Thanos happened.

With half of the whole universe turning into nothing but ashes, they didn’t expect a baby coming.

Natasha had undergone Shuri’s treatments way before Thanos. Way before all the chaos, she was seeing Shuri, and what she didn’t know was that the princess of Wakanda was successful. She completely treated her, and had gotten back her chance to be a mother.

What she didn’t expect was being a mother, right after the greatest loss they ever faced.

Sam wasn’t there to cheer on them. Wanda’s bright eyes and smile wasn’t there. Bucky’s chuckle to congratulate them wasn’t there. Clint is gone in the wind, and he wasn’t there to hug her and tell her everything is gonna be alright. Laura wasn’t there to give her tips and stories about being pregnant. The kids wasn’t there to be excited about their cousin.

Steve could only cry, both happy and sad tears as she told him.

“It worked.” She mumbles in his arms, as he hugs her. “Steve, Shuri’s treatments worked.” She states, gripping into his shirt tighter.

“I know, love.” He sighs. He looks up, to thank who might be there. “I know.”

Even with all the grief and darkness surrounding them, they were given light to see that there might be hope. To see that this wouldn’t end in darkness after all.

She learns Pepper is expecting too, 5 months after they last saw both her and Tony. Steve tells her that maybe they should leave the compound, find a place where they could raise their kid in peace. She tells him they could raise him well in the compound, and that she still needs to look after the team.

He doesn’t argue.

He falls in love with her over and over again every single day, as he watches her bloom into a beautiful pregnant woman. The fact that she is carrying his child is an added bonus. She was this aura of hope, in all of the grief, even when she herself was grieving.

They choose a doctor they could trust. They find out Helen Cho was spared, and they choose her. By the 6th month of Natasha’s pregnancy, they find out that their child inherited both of their serums. The super soldier serum stronger than the Red Room serum.

Helen tells them it wasn’t affecting the kid in a bad way, which gave them both a relief. It was another reason they chose Helen. They couldn’t just let any doctor handle their kid. The kid who already had a target pinned on his back even though he’s not even born yet. Same with Tony and Pepper’s kid.

At the end of their appointment, Natasha pins the new sonogram on to the frame she bought when she first got the first sonogram. After she places it, she catches sight of the arrow necklace she’s always worn. She swipes her phone up, dialing a number she knew would just go straight to voicemail.

“Barton. Still on arrest, might left my phone somewhere that’s why I’m not answering. Leave your message.”

“Hey Clint.” She sighs. “I have so much to tell you, I wish you were here. Please, please, come home.” She hears herself begging, and her tears already streaming down her face. Damn, hormones.

Steve watches in silence as he leans against the doorframe of their room. He pushes himself off of it, and proceeds to sit beside her on the bed, and just pull her in his arms. He gets his phone from the bedside table, tapping on a name in his contacts.

“If you know this number, and it leaves you straight to voicemail, two things might have happened. Either I got caught by Ross and his men or I lost this phone. Don’t leave a message.” Sam’s quirky voice answers, and the resounding beep follows.

“Sam.” Steve starts, and Natasha sobs. “I have some news for you. You’re gonna be an uncle. I know you’d say you saw this coming right off the first time we knocked on your door.” Natasha releases a chuckle, and she snuggles closer to Steve. “If you were here, you’d be the first to know. Like always when it comes to both of us. Hope you’re here.”

“Uncle Sam.” Natasha snorts. “Captain America’s kid has an Uncle Sam. What a fucking coincidence.”

“You know our kid might hear you, right?” He asks as he places his hand over her rounded belly.

“Nah, he knows what to filter.”

Giving birth wasn’t anything like what the movies or tv shows they watched. It’s painful and ugly. Natasha swears at Steve during the whole duration of her labor.

“This is the first and last!”

“You’re never getting any again, Rogers!”

“Motherfucker!”

Those were just some of the few words she had let out, and Steve winces each time. And each time, he presses his hands against her, wiping off her sweat, whispering sweet nothings to her.

James Clinton Rogers. Born on May 7, 2019, at exactly 2:54 AM. He looked every bit like Steve, and the only thing that was Natasha was the color of his eyes.

_Moy svet_. Natasha calls him _her light_ in Russian. Steve calls him buddy, pal, sometimes even champ. He was their pride and joy, and the reason why they want to continue moving forward.

As new parents, they learned everything wasn’t true in what they’ve read. Most of what they learned were learned from the situations they found themselves in with James. He wasn’t a difficult baby, and he was nothing they couldn’t handle.

As the days progressed, their little one progressed too. Tony and Pepper would visit them at times. Tony and Steve still having a bit of tension, but civil nonetheless. Rhodey would fly in and out as well. Carol was set to arrive next month, and she wouldn’t stop talking about how excited she is to meet James.

They still don’t hear from Bruce, Thor, and Clint.

One night, as she was putting James to sleep, she grabs hold of one picture frame sitting on the room they turned into his nursery. “This is Uncle Sam.” She tells him as he sets James on her arms and pointing to Sam’s face in the picture. “When you grow up, you’ll want to fly like him.”

“This is Auntie Wanda. When you meet her one day, you’ll be in awe of her beauty and power.” She smiles, caressing Wanda’s form in the picture. “This is Uncle Rhodey. You already met him, but one day, when you’re a grown up, I hope you have the same loyalty he has.” She kisses the top of his head.

“This one, is Uncle Thor.” She says grabbing another picture frame after she placed the other one down. “He’s a god, and maybe when he’s all better, he can show you his lightning.” She points to Bruce’s face next. “This is Uncle Bruce. He will teach you everything you want to know about science.” She chuckles, as she sees James already falling asleep.

“This… This is Uncle Clint.” She croaks out as she touches Clint’s face. “He saved Mommy’s life. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him. I wouldn’t have you if it weren’t for him.” She lets a tear slip. “One day, I hope you meet him. I hope he can make you laugh with all his jokes and antics.”

She grabs hold of the only picture there was of Bucky and Steve during the 40’s. They were in their military uniform, medals shining. “This is Uncle Bucky. He loves your Dad so much, and Daddy vice versa.” She smiles at the memory of Steve going to Wakanda to check up on his oldest friend once in a while, during the time they were on the run. “He’s your namesake, and he’ll probably cry when he meets you.” She laughs at the thought.

When she looks at James in her arms, he’s already asleep. His tiny hands balled into a fist, holding a chunk of her long hair. “Sleep well, moy svet.” She kisses the top of his head, placing him down in his crib. “I love you.”

On July 8, 2019, Morgan Harmony Stark was born. James was already 2 months old at the time. They visit the Starks a week after the little brunette was born. She was Tony, through and through. Pepper jokes she’d doubt if the child was hers if she wasn’t the one that birthed her. Steve tells her Morgan has her nose though, which she just laughs off.

Steve later finds Tony staring at their kids, resting peacefully on the arms of their mothers. “I hope they never have to wear a suit, or pick up a shield to keep this world safe.” He mumbles as he felt Steve’s presence. “I hope we can make this world safe enough for them to live far away from the lives we lead.”

“I hope so too, Tony.” Steve stares at Natasha cooing at James as she talks to Pepper. “I hope so too.”

3 years passed, and the two little kids served to be their happiness, even though the grief hasn’t been lifted off their chests. Natasha and Steve watches James grow up to be this ball of sunshine that has the same look of mischief in his eyes as his mother, and the same bright smile his father has. They continue with life. Natasha managing what’s left of the Avengers and the orphanage she set up, and Steve holding support groups at the VA.

Steve finds James one day at the armory of the compound, and he pulls him up the floor so quickly before he can reach any weapons resting there. “What are you doing here, pal?”

“I was just walking around, Daddy.” He says innocently. “What are those?”

“They’re your Uncles and Aunts toys.” Maybe he should’ve used another word to describe it, but it already slipped off. Natasha was gonna kill him.

“Can I play with them?” He asks out of curiosity as he keeps on looking at his mother’s gold Widow’s Bites that she never once used. (“Tony, a 24 karat gold Widow’s bite is gonna turn a lot of heads.” He remembers her chiding him, somewhere back in 2015 before Ultron.)

“Nope. They’d get mad, and you have your own toys, Jamie.” He answers, walking away from the armory, after making sure it was locked. “Why don’t you help Daddy surprise Mommy instead?”

“I love surprises!”

A week later, Steve proposes with the help of James, by the field that used to be the training grounds of the field agents before. She cries as she says yes, James running to them, hugging them.

“I love you.” She tells Steve as she kisses him, while James was still in between them.

“I love you more, Nat.”

“And I love you both, most!” They chuckle at James as they squeeze him between them more in a hug, and kissed his cheeks simultaneously.

They get married in a simple ceremony at the compound’s poolside garden, with only Tony and Pepper as their witnesses, and Rhodey, Carol, and Okoye as their guests. James and Morgan clapped and cheered loud as the ceremony ends with their kiss.

Another 2 more years, and James is already in pre-school. Steve picks him up from school one day, and as he was parking the car, James runs to where his mother was. “Be careful, James!”

The little blond spots his mother in her office. She was talking to Auntie Carol, Uncle Rhodey, General Okoye, and the two alien friends they had. Rocket and Nebula. He stays by the doorframe, as Uncle Rhodey says something, and he sees how his Mommy cries after telling Uncle Rhodey something.

“Mommy?”

“Oh.” Her mother quickly wipes away her tears. “You’re home. Did you have fun today at school?” She asks as he climbs up her lap, and hugs her tightly.

“Don’t cry Mommy.” He says, wiping his mother’s tears away. Steve stares at them, leaning against the bookshelf, with a solemn smile. “I love you, Mommy.”

The kid wraps his arms around her neck. “Oh, Jamie. I love you too.” She places a kiss on his hair, and Steve walks to them, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

“Why don’t we eat dinner, and you can tell us all about school, James.” Steve tells them, and they nod. James still hanging on to his mother.

Before they could leave her office, a notification from the entrance pops up on the hologram screens. “Are we expecting anyone?” She asks Steve, which Steve just dismisses. She swipes up the camera feed, revealing a face they thought they’d never see again.

Scott Lang.

“Jamie, why don’t you go take a bath, and change. Mommy and Daddy just have to talk to Scott.” She smiles at her kid who just nods and runs to his room. They buzz Scott in, and a burst of new hope rises on their chests.

Scott tells them about the Quantum Realm. 5 years since Thanos, but it only felt like 5 hours for him. He tells them how Hope (her girlfriend, Steve assumed) was suppose to pull him out but he discovered she wasn’t spared by the stone. And then he suggests what could be a solution to all of this.

Time travel. A time heist.

“I know it sounds crazy-”

“Scott, I get e-mails from a raccoon,” She shrugs. “nothing sounds crazy anymore.”

They go to Tony’s house with James. Morgan makes a beeline for her favorite and only present cousin. Scott looks at both children with this soft smile, and Tony looks at them surprised to see Scott. He looks at both Steve and Natasha, who just nod at him.

They tell him the plan, and Tony doesn’t want any involvement. Morgan comes to get his father, and James climbs up his mother.

“Cap, you know we can’t roll that dice again.” Tony sighs when Steve catches up to him, asking him to reconsider his decision. “We’ve got our second chances,” He states, quirking his head towards Morgan. “and I don’t wanna lose that. I’m sure you don’t too.”

“Table is set for 7, you guys should join us for lunch.”

As things don’t go as planned, they went for the second option. Somehow, they were able to reach Bruce, and what welcomed them was bit of a shock to all of them. It was a good thing they left James at the cabin for a sudden sleepover, if he were here he might have been a little shaken.

Bruce agrees and they proceed to test out their plan. They were sure it was gonna work, until Scott came back in various different ages. It didn’t work.

Tony pulls up on the driveway of the compound, bringing James back who excitedly ran to his father and gave him a hug, before running inside to go see his mother. Tony says he finally figured it out. They sent time through Scott, not Scott through time. He agrees to the plan.

“Not die trying would be nice.” He says, which Steve only nods at. He pulls out his shield from the compartment of his car, and Steve hesitates to take it. “He made it for you.” Tony says, sliding the shield in Steve’s arms.

“Thank you, Tony.”

“James found that together with Morgan in the garage yesterday. Figured it’s time I give it back to you.”

They get the rest of the team back, excluding Carol who already said she wouldn’t be able to make it back until next month. There were still a lot of planets that needed her presence and help. Natasha took on the task of following Clint in Japan. She brings him back, and when they arrive, James is on Steve’s arms squirming to put him down.

“Is that-”

“Mommy!”

Even in her suit, she picks the little blond, and gives the side of his head a kiss. “Hi Jamie.”

Clint stares at the moment unfolding in front of him. Steve starts walking towards them with a calculating smile. The little boy his best friend was holding turned towards him, and let out a gasp. “You’re Uncle Clint!”

“Cap? Tasha?”

“Clint, this is James. James Clinton Rogers.” Natasha says, handing him the kid. “Steve and I’s son.”

Clint holds the child close in his arms, as a few tears slip. Steve pulls Natasha in towards him, and wraps his left arm around her shoulders. “It’s good to have you back, Clint.”

They leave James at Pepper’s when they start brainstorming, and planning how this time heist would go. Their supply of Pym particles is scarce and they need everything to be done right. They choose time stamps where they’ve encountered the stones, and divide the team into groups.

Tony, Steve, Scott, and Bruce will head to 2012 during the Battle of New York. Three stones would be extracted from that year.

Thor and Rocket would jump back to Asgard in 2013, where the Reality Stone is trapped inside Jane Foster’s body.

Nebula, Rhodey, Clint, and Natasha would head back to 2014 in Morag. From there, Clint and Natasha would separate from Nebula and Rhodey to go to Vormir to extract the Soul Stone.

“What if we don’t succeed again?” Natasha asks as she and Steve lie naked in their bed, after a whole round of steamy love making.

“This is gonna work, Nat. This will work.” Steve answers her, placing light kisses on her hair. “We’ll bring them back.”

“Steve.” The super soldier looks at his wife, with that smile he always had for her. “If tomorrow comes down to a choice between me and completing this mission, promise me you wouldn’t choose me.”

“Nat.”

“Babe, the thing we’re about to do tomorrow, might take a sideways turn. You of all people know that.” She sighs, as she burrows herself deeper into his arms.

“I can’t promise you that, Nat.”

“Then just promise me, that whatever happens, James won’t be an orphan. That he’ll have at least one of us.”

“I promise. And I need you to make that promise too.”

“I promise, Steve.” She places a light kiss to his jaw. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more, Natasha. I love you more.”

The next day, as they stand around the platform of the Quantum Tunnel, Steve gives his speech. Natasha says she’ll see him in a minute before their helmets closed, and they get sucked into the tunnel.

…

As Natasha and Clint argues and fights who’ll be the one to jump, Clint strikes a retort at her.

“What about James?! Don’t you want to see him grow up?! Steve?! Don’t you want to grow old with him?!”

“Steve will understand.” She proceeds to fire him her Widow’s Bites

They take each other’s blows, until Clint got the upper hand and jumped, but Natasha was fast and caught on him, hooking him on her line. “Damn you!” Clint sobs as he holds on to Nat. She takes a look below, and closes her eyes and releases a breath.

“Let me go.” She smiles at him, reassuringly.

“No. No, please, no.”

“It’s okay.”

Before Clint could tighten his grip on her, she pushed herself off the cliff, and jumped.

She was gone.

…

Steve slammed the door of their room shut after what Clint had brought to them. He proceeded to punch a wall near him, to let his anger and frustration out. He stares at their wedding picture perched atop their dresser. Under the dresser he spots the familiar pointe shoes.

(She dances every now and then and he and James would always watch her in awe.)

“Why did you do that, Nat?” He sobs. “Why.”

…

He’s the only one left standing after Thanos left Tony and Thor unconscious. He stands back up, tightening the grip of the shield around his arm, and caressing the ribbon of Nat’s pointe shoes tied to his wrist. Whatever it takes. For Natasha’s life, he will make it worth it.

He limps towards the army the Mad Titan brought, ready to face them all alone, when he hears his comms static sound.

It worked. He hears Sam’s voice after 5 years, and his heart almost felt free of the burden. Portals started opening around them, and he was about to call the assemble, when another one right beside him opened.

Her flame red hair was vibrant in it’s braid, standing in contrast to the dark aura around them. Batons in both hands, Widow’s Bites charged and a tearful smile as she looks at him.

“I did say a minute, didn’t I?”

…

After the battle, the team went back to the old Avengers Tower (that surprisingly Tony bought back) to rest. They all took a hit from the infinity stones since they all shared its power. They needed the night to recover, but Tony, Pepper, Steve, and Natasha were adamant on coming back to the cabin for their children.

“Clint, you have to fly to the farm too.” Natasha chides, as Steve and Clint wouldn’t take their eyes off of her. “You have to check on Laura and the kids.”

On the quinjet back to the cabin, Steve held her as tight as he could, not wanting to let her out of his sight. He holds her hand during their whole flight, and when James runs to them, and he sees Natasha pull up their son, he was certain she was back. Bruce’s snap brought her back too.

“Oh Jamie.” He hears her say as she burrows her face into James’ hair. “I missed you.”

“Daddy!”

“James.” He says, getting him from Nat’s arms, and holding him close. He pulls Natasha towards them, and hugs them both tight in his arms. “God, I love you both.” He burrows his nose in Nat’s hair, inhaling the scent of her after battle. “I can’t lose either of you.”

“You’re never losing us Steve.” Natasha sighs. “Not again.”

“What are you talking about?” They chuckle at James’ question, just giving him a kiss on both his cheeks ignoring the question.

“I love you.” They say at the same time, and James raises his brow, but saying the three words back to his parents.

It’s all over now.

The world was safe now. They could finally live their lives, away from it all. There were enough Avengers now. They could finally rest. And the most important people in their lives are right here, and they weren’t going anywhere any time soon. 

**Author's Note:**

> @natstcve on twitter :)


End file.
